Indian Couple’s Vegan Wedding Profiled on Mashable

Mumbai couple showcases lavish, cruelty-free nuptials, demonstrating that no sacrifice was made to have a compassionate wedding.

An Indian couple’s elaborate vegan and eco-friendly wedding, complete with dog-friendly seating, was recently featured on the website Mashable. Shasvathi Siva and Karthik Krishnan of Mumbai made sure their wedding followed their ethics and set an example that lavish celebrations could be minimally impactful on the environment. Siva’s makeup was cruelty-free, and organic henna was used for the traditional tattooing. The entire menu used soy, almonds, and cashews in place of milk; featured a specialty dairy-free ice cream delivered from Delhi; and offered dried fruits instead of milk-laden sweets typically served at Indian events. Flowers were eschewed in favor of colorful cloth arrangements, and banana trees—customarily cut down and placed in front of the wedding hall—were planted in place six months ahead of time. The couple even went to lengths to reduce plastic and waste, using edible spoons and recycled newspaper napkins. “Where there is a will, there is a way,” Siva said. “We need more people to have such weddings. Celebration does not need to involve cruelty, that in itself is an oxymoron. So please do explore such opportunities, and make it count.”